Thera 2.42: Dhammapala
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(162):Dhammapala Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter II. Two Verses =162. Dhammapāla= Reborn in this Buddha-age, when the Lord(Buddha) had passed away, in the kingdom of Avanti,1 as a hrahmin's son, he was named Dhammapāla. As he was returning from Takkasilā, his schooldays finished, he saw on his way a certain Thera in a single cell,2 and hearing from him the Path(Dhamma), he believed, left the world(for monkhood), and acquired sixfold abhiññā(higher knowledge). Now, as he was ruminating in the bliss of his achievement, two novices climbed a tree at the Vihāra to pick flowers, and a branch breaking, they were falling. Seeing them, the Thera caught them with his hand, and by his 150 iddhi-power3 placed them unhurt upon the ground. And he taught them, saying: ---- 203 Yo have daharo bhikkhu yuñjati buddhasāsane,|| Jāgaro patisuttesu amāghaɱ tassa jīvitaɱ.|| || 204 Tasmā saddhañca sīlañca pasādaɱ dhammadassanaɱ,|| Anuyuñjetha medhāvī saraɱ buddhāna sāsanan' ti.|| || ---- 203 The Monk who while young has given himself Wholly to carry out the Buddha's plan, Who keeps vigil in a sleeping world, Not vainly, not for nothing he spends his days. 204 So let the wise man, so let him who Remembers that which Buddhas have enjoined, Devote himself to faith and righteousness, To know the blessedness They brought to us, And the true vision of the holy Path(Dhamma).4 ---- 1 The country just east or north-east of Bombay. See Bud. India, p. 28. 2 Ekasmiɱ vihāre. Cf. Dialogues, ii. 4, n. 1. 3 Compendium, pp. 60 ff., '209. 4 The literal Pali of these two lines is the two very pregnant terms pasādaɱ (expressing relief, satisfaction, trust) and dhammadassanaɱ (insight into or through the Dhamma). ---- =2.5-2 162 Commentary on the stanza of Dhammapālatthera= The stanza starting with Yo have daharo bhikkhu(monk) constitutes that of the venerable Thera Dhammapāla. What is the origin? This one also having done devoted deeds of service toward former Buddhas, accumulating acts of merit in this and that existence, was reborn in a family home at the time of the Blessed One Atthadassī; on having attained the age of intelligence, he went towards the forest on a certain business, happened to have met the Master, became pious-minded and offered the fruits of a wave-leaved fig tree to Him. On account of that act of merit, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirth among divine and human beings, and was reborn in a brahmin family, in the kingdom of Avanti, when the Master entered parinibbāna, after the appearance of this present Buddha; having gained the name Dhammapāla, he went to Takkasilā, on having come of age, learnt his lessons in arts and on returning home, he met on his way, in a certain monastery, a certain Thera, listened to his teaching of truth (dhamma) in the Thera’s presence, aptly gained pious faith, became a monk, increasingly developed spiritual insight (vipassanā) and became an Arahant with six sorts of higher-knowledge. Hence, has it been said in the Apadāna:– “One having seen Buddha Atthadassī, the fully famous, I offered fig fruit, pious-minded and good hearted. It was eighteen hundred aeons (kappa) ago, since I then made my offering of fruit; I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of my offering of fruit. My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” Having, however, become an Arahant with six sorts of higher-knowledge, he kept on spending his time with the bliss of the attainment of jhāna, when, one day he happened to have noticed in that monastery, two novices (sāmaṇara) falling down owing to the breaking of a branch of the tree which they climbed to the top for plucking flowers, the Thera, by means of his magical power caught them by means of his hand, placed them but uninjured even (arogeyeva) on the ground, and spoke these stanzas, teaching the truth (dhamma) to those novices (sāmaṇera):– 203. “Whosoever young monk does, certainly, engage himself in the dispensation (sāsana) of Buddha; that wakeful monk, indeed, among those who are asleep (suttesu), his life is not in vain. 204. Therefore, O wise people! Remembering the instruction (sāsanaṃ) of Buddhas, you should equip yourselves with pious faith, moral precept and clear sight of truth (dhamma). There, yo means an indefinite statement. Have means: an indeclinable particle in the meaning of firmness (daḷhattha). Daharo means: tender (taruṇo). He begs alms food; thus, he is bhikkhu. Yuñjati means: he makes effort, he exerts. Jāgaro means: being endowed with the deed (dhamma) of wakefulness; Suttesu means among people who are sleeping. This is what has been said:– Yo bhikkhu(monk) daharo means: a monk who is but tender (taruṇo) without thinking thus: “Likewise I shall come to know later when I grow up,” sāsane yuñjati means: makes himself devoted to (yogaṃ karoti) the development (bhāvanā) of calm composure (samatha) and spiritual insight (vipassanā) for the proper practice (paṭipatti) of deligence in the dispensation (sāsana) of Buddhas. Suttesujāgaro means: among those who are negligent, sleeping the sleep of ignorance (avijjānidda) he is wakeful by being endowed with such such deeds (dhamma) of wakefulness (jāgara) as pious faith (saddhā) and so on; amoghaṃ tassa jīvitaṃ means: his life is not barren (avañjhaṃ) but as a result of that (wakefulness) it is for the all-round fulfillment of one’s own welfare and the welfare of others. Tasmā saddhañ ca sīlañ ca means: since this is in this manner, therefore, pious faith in action and reaction (kammaphala), the manner of such occurrence (nayapavattaṃ) as: “There is action, there is result of action,” and so on; because of close connection of moral precept (sīla) with pious faith (saddhā) based on it are the four all-round pure precepts. Pasādaṃ means; “The Blessed One is well self-awakened Buddha (sammāsambuddho), the truth (dhamma) has been well taught (svakhāto), the clergy is well-equipped with proper practice (suppaṭipanno), thus, clear sight of the three gems which have happened in this way; dhammadassanaṃ means: seeing of the four noble truths by way of all-round knowing (pariññā) and so on, by means of wisdom of the right path (maggapaññā) which is connected with wisdom of spiritual insight (vipassanā). Medhāvā means: a monk, endowed with the wisdom of essence of truth (dhamoja); buddhānaṃ sāsanaṃ means; constantly remembering the advice and teachings of Buddhas and having specially exercised equanimity over his own head though being burnt; anuyuñjetha means one should make constant devotion (anuyogaṃ) and austere effort there; thus, is the meaning. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Dhammapāla is complete. ----